希少
kishō
The English word 'scarcity' can be translated into Japanese as 希少 (kishō).
希少 is used to describe the quality of being rare or hard to find. In technical or economic contexts, the suffix 性 is often added to form 希少性 to specifically denote 'scarcity' or 'rarity'. Other ways to express different nuances of scarcity include 乏しい for a general sense of paucity, and 欠乏 when emphasizing the deprivation of something necessary.
Meaning: an inadequate amount of something, a shortage (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 希少 describes something that is rare, you should use 不足 when describing a functional shortage or an inadequate amount of a necessary resource. For a more extreme or colloquial way to say something is in short supply, you can use めっちゃ少ない.
How do you pronounce it?
kishō
Did you know?
- While 希少 is a formal noun, the colloquial めっちゃ少ない uses めっちゃ to add extreme emphasis. This adverb originated from the Kansai dialect of Osaka and Kyoto before becoming popular nationwide.
- The first character in 希少 is a 'daiyōji', a simplified way of writing the character 稀 to make it easier to write or print. This means the standard way you see the word written today is actually a shorthand version of an older character.
- The term 乏しい (toboshii), which describes a paucity or scarcity, is often used metaphorically in Japanese to describe a lack of 'experience' or 'humanity'.
Examples in context
- 使用素材の不足により、生産量が減少しています。Due to a shortage of raw materials, production has decreased.
- 飲料水の欠乏が問題となっています。The shortage of drinking water has become a problem.
- 今日のコンサートのチケットめっちゃ少なかったよ。There were very few tickets for today's concert.
- 彼の才能は非常に乏しい。His talent is very scarce.
- その色は非常に希少です。Sono iro wa hijō ni kishō desu.That color is extremely scarce.
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are looking at a collection of vintage stamps in a shop.
- 結衣 Yuiこの切手は希少なものですか？Kono kitte wa kishō na mono desu ka?Is this stamp a rare one?
- 蓮 Renはい、とても希少ですよ。Hai, totemo kishō desu yo.Yes, it is very scarce.
- 結衣 Yui蓮さんはこれに興味がありますか？Ren-san wa kore ni kyōmi ga arimasu ka?Ren, are you interested in this?
- 蓮 Renええ、すごく珍しいですね。Ee, sugoku mezurashii desu ne.Yes, it's very rare.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 希少, CC BY-SA 4.0.
